


Helping Hand

by theprincessed



Series: Robert Week 2018 [7]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Family Feels, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 06:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15943850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: Robert tries to help out the Dingles because they're family now, right?(Day 7: Write a scene about a topic you wish Emmerdale would give to Robert)





	Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! I MADE IT TO THE END! This was tough and I'm really not gonna do it the night before again lol.
> 
> This is silly but I wanted to try something different than the top things fandom would think of.
> 
> Hope you enjoy x

_"What the hell happened? I was waiting for ya to call me,"_

_"He tried to be a hero - "_

_" - He got caught - "_

Robert groggily blinks his eyes open to see he's in a hospital room and his head is throbbing. He guesses the three people in front of him were talking about happened, figuring he was still unconscious and wouldn't mind them trying to besmirch his name, surprisingly including his husband. At least Aaron looks worried.

"I was following the plan," he croaks, "before some thug clocked me."

"You tried to be a hero," Charity nods.

"He got caught," Cain adds, with an unreadable expression but something in his eyes makes it seems like he's silently judging and smirking at Robert.

"Robert!" Aaron breathes, ignoring his relatives to squeeze Robert's elbow. "How're ya feeling?"

He thinks about it for a second. His brain feels like it's rattling around in his skull and his coccyx is sore, probably from where he landed hard. He might've been trying to right a wrong with a little breaking and entering, but there was no need to make him feel like he'd gone a round with Anthony Joshua.

"Sore," he mumbles vaguely, shutting his eyes again because the darkness behind his eyelids is a bit more bearable.

"I can't believe you didn't talk him out of this," Aaron says, clearly directing it at them as they hover awkwardly by Robert's bedside.

"You were in on it!" Charity laughs, "And he's _your_ husband!"

Robert squints. "As if I'd ever listen to him," he jokes, coughing through a dry throat. Aaron jumps like a firework was lit under his arse and he must ask him when he's better if he quite likes being able to take care of Robert like this because he's pretty good at it, even if he's sometimes a difficult patient. Aaron hands him the plastic cup of cool water, takes a few sips then realises they haven't told him the outcome yet. "So did we do it?"

Three weeks prior, Cain got wind of the fact that some dodgy cars were coming into the garage, courtesy of a local gang of criminals. Hardly a stranger to crime himself, he'd devised a plan to place the cars outside one of the gang's many hideouts and give their rivals an anonymous tip to get the evidence off his turf for good. He never would've thought of it if PC Swirling hadn't already been sniffing around the garage, suspicious that Cain had got a hand in the business of stealing, cloning and splicing the cars together. 

A bored Charity behind the bar is a dangerous Charity and it didn't take long for her to invite herself along on the day. Robert had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, picking his Porsche up after an MOT from Dan, but he wasn't in that afternoon and Cain hadn't been in the mood to answer his questions, although he was technically family now, so he'd told Robert what was going on. That night, Robert had told Aaron and suddenly they were involved, Robert quite enjoying being part to 'right' a wrong, the Dingle way.

Until two hours ago anyway when Robert was supposed to be the lookout as Cain broke into the gang's counterfeiting garage and Charity and Aaron drove the cars in. The call never came as Cain disappeared inside and Robert was left on his own, forgetting in his panic how he was meant to alert Cain as he was faced with three burly blokes stalking towards him.

"Just about," Cain grouses. "I had to take 'em out on my own 'cause you were spark out, like usual."

"Alright, that's enough," Aaron shakes his head, frowning at his uncle. "It's not like he did it on purpose. He was helping us."

It shuts Cain up, even if Charity is barely holding in her laughter. Eventually, Cain extends his hand. It's like the holy grail of Dingle lore to get a handshake from him, arguably the one to take the responsibility of the clan once Zak is no longer alive.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Any time." Robert smiles, reaching out. "I'll probably stick to lying to the police or something next time."

"Yeah, at least you're good at that!" Charity guffaws, letting Cain push her out of the room.

Robert feels Aaron touch his elbow again and he grabs for his hand instead. He can tell they're both relieved it was just another punch to the floor and a resulting headache and nothing more serious.

"You need to stop hitting your head. You're not a boxer."

"Not like you ya mean," he teases, kissing Aaron's knuckles. "Scrapper, boxer, what next eh? Car thief?"

He smirks and Aaron looks embarrassed at being reminded of those old memories. Robert wasn't best pleased at the time when Ross and Aaron decided to steal his Audi, but - knowing where he and Aaron got to together - the memory has a special place in his heart, rightly or wrongly.

"Shut up and rest," he grumbles.

"I don't negotiate, remember."

"You callin' me an idiot?"

"Ah, so you do remember that then?"

Aaron rolls his eyes. "Sleep, Robert."

Robert shuts his eyes and smiles. "Yes, dear."

He feels Aaron press a kiss to his cheek and he squeezes his hand in his. He might've temporarily lost a car that day and got punched today, but unlike then, he now had a grumpy, sarky husband to take care of him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


End file.
